The Carroll County Ethics Commission has denied a request by former Commissioner Perry L. Jones Jr. for an exemption from its rules to become liaison with the Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association.
"They denied it. They're sticking with their two-year rule. They will not give," a disappointed Jones said after receiving a letter stating the commission's decision.
A commission rule states that former county employees and officials cannot work for pay for any organization that receives county funding for two years.
Jones, who was a county commissioner from December 2002 until December, had applied for a part-time paid position as liaison with the county Emergency Services Association.
With Jones' background in government and as a volunteer firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician for the Union Bridge Fire Company, the Emergency Services Association members unanimously approved his application at its June meeting.
But when a question arose about the two-year non-employment clause, Jones went to the Ethics Commission for a ruling.
Ethics Commission administrator Richard J. Simmons gave Jones a verbal ruling that he could not accept the job because the association receives about $9 million in county funds.
But after researching the issue, Jones found a possible exemption and asked for a hearing in front of the commission.
He also researched projects he had been involved with as a commissioner and found they had all been finished, so "there are no open links there," he said.
"There's another clause that allows an exemption if there is no other qualified person available for the job," Jones said.
The association had advertised the job statewide, but received only three applicants, one of whom withdrew, by the end of May. The liaison job pays $18 an hour for 30 hours a week with no benefits. It is paid from funds taken from the association's administrative budget.
Jones and association President Richard Green Sr. went before the Ethics Commission on July 12 to argue that the liaison is no more than an information officer and involves no financial dealings between the county and the association.
"He's just a messenger," Green said. "I really stressed that there's no decision-making on his part and stressed the need for someone to do the job. I have to take off from my job to go to these meetings."
The liaison's chief function is to attend county meetings and events that deal with emergency services on behalf of the association and take information back to members at its monthly meeting.
The position became available after Leon Fleming, liaison for the past 10 years, announced his retirement June 29.
After Jones was denied the position, the association persuaded Fleming to serve as needed until a replacement could be found.
"I told them I'd stay on to get paperwork done, take phone calls, stuff like that until they get somebody," Fleming said. "We need somebody on board to keep things going, to take care of workman's comp, stuff like that."
A disappointed Green said it would be up to the association what to do next.
"It looks like we're going to have to re-advertise, but it will be up to the association, whether to keep it as is, or make it full time to make it more attractive, which will obviously mean more money and benefits," Green said.
As for Jones, he'll continue to work at Tuck's Garage in Union Bridge "unless something else comes up," he said.
ellie.baublitz@baltsun.com